Wednesday, March 28, 2012

It's that time again! I don't have a ton of photos to show off today, because most of the ones I've been taking have to do with the "March Photo a Day" challenge that I've been participating in all month! In a few days (once March is over) I plan on doing a really big post and debuting these photos to the public outside of my Instagram community! I am SO excited to show you. I really really love some of them! In the meantime, enjoy these couple of gems from the last week:

On Thursday morning, 3/22, Charlie got to check out the stock prices with Daddy. Things are looking up! Love his little hand on the mouse!!:

Found little man passed out in his Jumperoo on 3/23. I guess I just let him jump too long! Haha oops... imagine my surprise when (upon being in the next room) I realized that the toy's noises had stopped. It only makes noise when it's moving around and Charlie is jumping. So, silent toy = no movement. I was petrified for about 0.798 seconds... and then realized he had probably just jumped himself to sleep! Good thing I was right!:

Sunday, March 25, 2012

I'm not sure how it's possible, but our Charlie gets cuter and sweeter every single day! Today he turned a whopping 5 months old and I'm not even sure how it happened! Here's a look back at the past months:I just can't believe how old he is looking! And he's learning things at lightning speed!Some stats about Charlie at 5 months old:

Uses both hands together, coordinating grabbing at things like toys, his bottle, or our faces (so sweet when he does that!)

Likes to "feel" with his fingers - he massages the carpet, the grass, his sheets, and anything else that feels fun. This has also translated into feeling the different furs and textures of some of his touch and feel books. He LOVES them!

Also likes to whack and hit things with his hand. I didn't teach him this... are boys born with this instinct? Haha!

Still sleeping through the night! From about 8:30pm to 8am! And just over the past couple of days, he has been wanting to be put down while awake, and he happily puts himself to sleep. I guess the days of swaddling and rocking him to sleep are nearly over! How sad :'(

Eats about 5.5 ounces, 5 times a day, for a total of about 27 ounces or so each day. We have started trying spoon feeding some thin rice cereal, but I don't think he's too interested in that yet. I'll just keep it up!

We've also upgraded his bottle nipple to the medium flow (instead of slow)... and now it takes him 6-7 mins to finish a bottle instead of 15! Yay!

Size 3 diapers

Mostly size 6 month clothes! Can still wear a couple of the smaller 3-6 month sizes (like in Baby Gap), but mostly 6 month! He got so much bigger so quickly!

Is now excellent at rolling over (but only to his right)

Can sometimes pull his legs up underneath him

Over the last couple days, while on his tummy, he can push himself up much higher on his hands, to where his arms are completely straight!

Not a very good sitter. He still can't sit in the tripod position for more than half a second... in fact, I can hardly get him in the tripod position - I think his belly is a little too fat ;)

Loves his jumperoo and is probably going to be an excellent jumping baby!

Has learned how to giggle! Finally! If we tickle him and make fun noises, sometimes we'll get little giggles... but we are still waiting for the full-out laugh to finally bust free!

He is liking more and more to be held, but he still isn't the cuddliest baby ever (neither was I, according to my mom)

Likes to sleep on his tummy. He always turns over... so I just let him sleep that way.

Getting much better with his pacifier. He can keep it in pretty well and now actually NEEDS it to help him calm himself down. I'm not complaining. It's pretty nice ;)

Can shake a rattle... and when he does, he shakes his whole body at the same time - hilarious!

Drools. A lot. I'm sure this is just an early sign of future teeth!

As of the last few days, he has discovered the upper register of his voice and it's pretty darn funny how much he's been squealing... he sounds like a girl! ;)

Falls asleep by himself at nap time, mostly in his crib, but sometimes still in his swing if I want him to sleep really well for an extra long time. I'm amazed at how well he does. I rarely have to help him out at all... and he doesn't usually fuss much. Such a good, good baby!

And, my very favorite, pictured right below, he can hold his own bottle! He's been able to do this for about a month, but now he can do it through practically the whole feeding. Superstar!

Ok I lied, he CAN sit, with the assistance of the sofa... and it doesn't last long ;)Loves to play, and be shirtless! Here he is being a "man's man":And I just can't get enough of this cute little bum! In those cute jeans! Ahh!Here he is playing outside with me one day last week:

Friday, March 23, 2012

After the random snow storm this past weekend, I couldn't WAIT to get back to the park with Charlie later this week after the weather warmed up and the snow melted. So on Thursday (the 22nd) we met up with Jana and her two boys Luke & Crew and Heidi with her two girls Kate & Emma. And I can easily say that fun was had by all!

Here's Charlie in his cute new getup right before we left. I found these shoes in his closet that morning and I was SO excited because they matched perfectly and they fit (a little big, but hey, who cares right?!) and so for the first time ever, my little man wore some SHOES!! :D

Here I am at the park with my almost-5-month-old sweet boy! My hubby, T, said he couldn't believe what I did with Charlie's hat in this picture - he thinks I made it look like a GIRL hat... gasp! The nerve! But really, I just did it so you could see his cute little face!Jana and Crew, who will be turning 1 in just a couple weeks! Can't believe how time has flown by!And here's sweet Emma, who is just about a week older than Charlie. When T saw this picture, he said "Wow! She has such big pretty eyes! And such a dainty little nose and mouth! She looks like a Disney princess!!"... and he's right. She's a looker, that Emma!:So, while Charlie and I looked on, some of the older kids had a bunch of fun playing on the swings and the playground. Here's my favorite picture of the day, once again of little Crew:

And, of course, there were the slides! I figured out (to my excitement) that my camera also has a function where it takes multiple pictures if you hold down the button, so we had some fun with that again! Here's little Kate taking a turn:And big man Luke:And, of course, we DID see the ducks again and got to throw bread at them. Oh man. These ducks get so much bread thrown to them that they are going to be F.A.T. by the end of the season! Whewww doggie! ;)

Well anyway, I'm just so glad the weather has been this nice so early. I really do hate winter, and I'm so so so glad it's been mild and short this year. Hooray for warm weather and new adventures with my little man! :D

Monday, March 19, 2012

Last Monday, the 12th, it was a beautiful (like, 70 degrees beautiful) day! My friend Nicole, who has a little boy Tyler (2 weeks younger than Charlie), invited us to come with them to the park down the road to feed the ducks. I figured it would be a lot of fun, so off we went! :)

After getting there and feeding my very cranky, hungry boy, we strolled over to the little pond and fed the ducks. Charlie thought it was pretty fun, especially when he finally noticed all the little ducks out in the pond swimming around and quacking. Even though he doesn't react much... I'm sure he's learning. I just can't wait until he's big enough to get really excited about the ducks :)

Here's my big boy sitting (for the first time!) in his stroller without the carseat! The seat was a little big, but he will grow into it before I know it!After feeding the ducks, Nicole and I meandered over to the playground area. Charlie LOVES to watch other kids running around, so I thought we'd let them watch for a few minutes. Here is lovely Nicole with cutie Tyler:Then, we got this incredible idea to go down the slide with our little ones! Nicole's camera has a setting where you can hold down the shutter button and it will take lots of pictures right after the other (*click click click*)... and we thought that would be a fun way to document our sliding :) So here we are, Charlie and me, sliding down a slide together for the first time!

Despite the look on his face, I really think he liked it! It was just kind of sunny outside. After this trip, I quickly learned that Charlie is going to need a little sunhat like Tyler's... so I zipped over to Target last week and picked one up... and he is SO cute in it!

On the stroll back to our cars, Charlie slumped over and fell asleep in his stroller (what a sweetie!)... I guess we just tired him out with all that fun!!

Now if this pesky snow would just go away so we can go outside and play again!! ;) The weather report shows it should be warmer later this week... crossing my fingers! CAN'T WAIT until SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!! :D

Monday, March 12, 2012

On Saturday, while T was out golfing with his friend Dave, I had to think of something fun to do to treat myself... so I decided to whip up these amazing Cadbury mini egg cookies that I saw a recipe for on Pinterest.

My overall review of the recipe is that these cookies are DELICIOUS... especially right out of the oven! The only complaint I have is that the batter and the leftover cookies seem a little bit dry. I wonder if I can add just a touch of water or something to help the dough stick better in such a dry Utah climate? :)

Anyway, this was just a pre-Easter test run. I have a feeling there will me more of these cookies coming out of my kitchen verrrry soon. Especially if I can find some DARK chocolate Cadbury mini eggs!! Oh my heavens!

One of my fellow Instagram friends, Stephanie, does these weekly posts that she calls "Life As My Phone Sees It", where she blogs all of her Instagram photos from the week. I think it's such a fun idea, so I hope she doesn't mind if I copy it! :)

Here are the photos of my life over the last week:

Playing in the jumper:

Waking up from his nap after getting shots at the doctor for his 4 month appointment:

I always find him in the morning on his tummy with his little bum in the air (and most days with his arm stuck in his sleeve):

Loving the camera time with Mom:

Friday shopping trip to Target! Yay!:

Testing out Dad's new running shoes:

And this last one was taken today, 3/12. We went to a park down the road with some friends :)

Sunday, March 4, 2012

It's true. It's not just a rumor. Yes, I AM addicted to Instagram (this incredible app for the iPhone that lets you put awesome vintage filters on your photos you take with your phone). It's easy and fun. Since I discovered it at the beginning of the year, I've been going a little overboard with my picture taking. But hey - looking back - I'm sure I'll be glad I took so many! Here are the 35 pictures I have taken so far. The first picture was taken just after Christmas (Charlie was barely 2 months) and the last was taken today! Going forward I'm going to try to do this more often so it's not such an overload! :) Enjoy!This last one was taken today, 3/4/12. So cute playing with Mom and Dad on a Sunday! :)

Our Family

The Shipps were married on May 3, 2008 in the Salt Lake City, Utah LDS Temple. Alex enjoys reading, listening to music, finding creative projects to do, doing anything on the computer, playing games, baking, shopping, and yoga. T is a hard worker who loves to read, play games, build websites, clean our apartment, golf, and make Alex happy with his contageous smile! He graduated from BYU in August 2011 with a degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Finance. Alex graduated from BYU with a degree in Business Management in April, 2009. Our little Charlie arrived on October, 25 2011 and he is going to have a little sister in June 2014! Welcome to our blog!